Abstract Details

Title Deficits in Episodic Memory of Olfactory Percepts as a Potential Biomarker for Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease

Topic Aging and Dementia

Presentation(s) P03 - (-)

Poster/Presentation
Number 081

Objective

Background BACKGROUND: The pathological aggregates of AD accumulate in the olfactory bulb and entorhinal cortex in autopsy specimens of cognitively healthy individuals. Examination of human olfactory function has provided reproducible evidence of odor identification deficits in the prodromal and dementia stages of AD.

Design/Methods DESIGN/METHODS: We deployed a customizable, portable olfactometer to conduct a 12-item odor discrimination, a 20-item odor identification, and a 20-item episodic olfactory percept memory test. The subjects (n = 114) were recruited from the Massachusetts ADRC longitudinal cohort that includes cognitively normal elderly subjects, cognitively impaired subjects who do not reach criteria for a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), subjects diagnosed with amnestic MCI, and those with a probable diagnosis of AD. The results were analyzed using a general linear model with backward elimination (p < 0.05 cutoff).

Results RESULTS: We affirm previous findings that odor identification performance varies significantly as a function of diagnosis after controlling for age and gender. Interestingly, we observe a highly significant difference in the performance of episodic olfactory percept recall across diagnostic categories. The ability to discriminate different odors also varies significantly as a function of condition after controlling for age and gender. Finally, we find that the proportion of odors that the subjects find familiar varies significantly with the diagnosis after controlling for age and gender. Further analyses will incorporate other known and proposed risk factors for AD including Apo E genotype, education, entorhinal volume, hippocampal volume, and amyloid status.

Conclusions CONCLUSIONS: Together, these results indicate that probing olfactory function through this battery, particularly the episodic recall of olfactory percepts, may serve as a functional biomarker for preclinical AD that is both non-invasive and cost-effective as well as less educationally and culturally biased.

Authors/Disclosures
Mark W. Albers, MD, PhD (Massachusetts General Hospital) PRESENTER	An immediate family member of Dr. Albers has received personal compensation in the range of $50,000-$99,999 for serving as a Consultant for Aromha. Dr. Albers has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving as an officer or member of the Board of Directors for Aromha. Dr. Albers has stock in Berkshire Hathaway. Dr. Albers has stock in Curis. The institution of Dr. Albers has received research support from NIH. Dr. Albers has received intellectual property interests from a discovery or technology relating to health care.
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Rana K. Zabad, MD, FAAN (University of Nebraska Medical Center)	Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Bayer. Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Biogen. Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Genentech. Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Celgene/BMS. Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Genzyme. Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Merck Serono. Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Teva Neurosciences. Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for TG Therapeutics. Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Teva. Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Novartis. Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Genentech. Dr. Zabad has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for BMS. The institution of Dr. Zabad has received research support from Adamas. The institution of Dr. Zabad has received research support from Biogen. The institution of Dr. Zabad has received research support from Novartis. The institution of Dr. Zabad has received research support from Sun Pharma. The institution of Dr. Zabad has received research support from Parexel & MedDay Pharmaceuticals.

��ɫ��

��ɫ��